Mina F. Olson, age 88, passed away Wednesday evening, June 18, 2003, at Highland Park Hospital, Highland Park, IL. She was born June 7, 1915, in Lake Forest, IL, the daughter of Mark and Ragnhild, nee Clausen, Uchida. She married Carlton A. Olson on June 12, 1938, in Chicago. He preceded her in death on June 20, 1996. Mina attended Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. In Chicago, she managed Jacques French restaurant for 20 years and later became Executive Secretary of the Henry George School of Social Science.

My oh my. Trend watchers have warned us, and studies and polls have confirmed the warnings. The definition of "homemade" has changed in the family kitchen, and homemakers from coast to coast truly do practice avoidance when it comes to buying and preparing unprocessed ingredients. So what's new, you ask? What's new is a book by television cook Sandra Lee, "Semi-Homemade Cooking" (Miramax Books, $19.95 paperback). If that grabs your attention, the hook is a cover line that reads, "Quick Marvelous Meals and Nothing is Made from Scratch."